'Game of Thrones' prequel: HBO confirms pilot in the works

Game of Thrones fans, worry not — the eighth and final season of the fantasy show may be fast approaching, but the powers-that-be at HBO announced this past weekend there’s a prequel in the works.

Set thousands of years before the existing series, the proposed prequel pilot will be written by Jane Goldman, who wrote the screenplay for movies Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past and several others.

The series sets out to chronicle the world’s tumble from grace into its most dark, horrific era. It’s unclear what the world of Westeros looks like that far into the past, so it’s unclear at this juncture if we’ll see the origins of the White Walkers, or if we get a glimpse into the lives of the early Starks, Targaryens or Greyjoys.

Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin worked with Goldman on the project, but she will serve as showrunner. Both Martin and Goldman, along with two others, will be executive producers of the upcoming pilot.

Martin has made it clear in previous Q&As and panels that any upcoming Game of Thrones series will not be spinoffs, and none of them will feature any member of the current cast. While at least five additional Game of Thrones projects are in the works, HBO has not clarified how many will make it to air.